Lemongrass is a plant that grows in Russia under natural conditions only in the Far East, but it can also be grown on a personal plot in the European part of our country. It is worth planting lemongrass in the country not only for its beautiful appearance, but also for its valuable medicinal properties.
Pick-up location
It is very important to choose the right place to grow Chinese magnolia vine. This plant is thermophilic enough, so it should be planted in a place protected from the wind. Despite the fact that lemongrass loves the sun, it should be in the shade for part of the day, so it is best to plant it from the west or east side.
Lemongrass is a climbing plant, so it needs support for the branches, it is convenient to plant it along the fence or braid the gazebo with it, if this is not possible, you will have to install special supports.
Features of planting lemongrass
In the southern regions, lemongrass is planted in October, in the middle lane - in the spring, with the arrival of the first heat. Usually three seedlings are planted at a distance of about a meter from each other, a lonely lemongrass seedling often dies.
If you plant lemongrass next to a building, you must step back at least a meter from it, otherwise water from the roof will drip onto the roots and spoil them.
To plant lemongrass, you need to dig a hole 40 cm deep, 60 cm in diameter, drainage is laid on the bottom of the hole - pieces of brick, small stones, etc. The pit is then filled with turf soil mixed with compost, phosphate fertilizers and wood ash.
Shoots of 2-3 years are chosen as seedlings, they are the ones that take root best in a new place. The correct seedling of Chinese magnolia vine has a height of only 10-15 centimeters, but a powerful root system.
The root collar of the seedling must not be below ground level.
After the plant is planted, it is watered very well and the root hole is covered with humus or peat. Schisandra seedlings are not very demanding, the main thing is to provide them with shade and spray in too hot dry weather. It is advisable to sprinkle the place around the seedling with humus.
If you live in an arid climate, lemongrass should be watered abundantly, as it has a very humid maritime climate in its natural habitat.
Top dressing
After the first three years of life, the plant can be fed. Proper feeding will allow you to grow bushes with more lush leaves and improve the healing properties of berries.
Top dressing begins in April. First of all, 20-30 grams of saltpeter is added to the soil, this procedure is carried out several times per season. Once every three weeks, liquid feeding is carried out, most often with chicken droppings diluted with water. Before the winter colds, 20 g of superphosphate and ash are added to the soil.
For the winter, young shoots are covered with leaves, and plants over 3 years old can tolerate cold even without sheltering.
The harvest
Lemongrass begins to bear fruit at about 5 years of age. Harvesting is possible at a time when the fruits become transparent and soft and have a bright red color. The collected fruits must be processed on the same day, otherwise they will disappear very quickly. There are many recipes for healthy potions based on the fruits, leaves and stems of lemongrass.
